Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

Making your money go further
yorkshirelad1
Lemon Slice
Posts: 906
Joined: October 5th, 2018, 1:40 pm
Has thanked: 176 times
Been thanked: 299 times

Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492565

Postby yorkshirelad1 » April 7th, 2022, 5:14 pm

This scheme has now started: details: https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

I have £275 in stamps to get swapped out. I am uncomfortable sending this amount of stamps, with no proof of amount sent. There seems no facility to get your claim checked and receipted before sending, other then trust on both sides. With the best will in the world, things can and do go wrong. I would perhaps like to see something where the form and stamps can be verified by a local Royal Mail office either before sending or as part of the sending process (how hard could that be?). I know I can use Special Delivery (and the costs will be refunded). It seems to me the scheme is open to abuse and the liability is entirely on the customer to prove what they did send if there's a problem.

What do other Fools think?
Does another Fool have any suggestion?

DrFfybes
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3733
Joined: November 6th, 2016, 10:25 pm
Has thanked: 1171 times
Been thanked: 1964 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492566

Postby DrFfybes » April 7th, 2022, 5:22 pm

Didn't know about this scheme, MrsF has old stamps that have been there for years.

as it is free (except printing the form) can you just do several small applications?

Hmm, I wonder if the stamps with 1/2p on can be amalgamated to a full penny.

JohnB
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2497
Joined: January 15th, 2017, 9:20 am
Has thanked: 677 times
Been thanked: 997 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492583

Postby JohnB » April 7th, 2022, 6:02 pm

Send them in small batches. If I had free printing I'd do a stamp at a time to remind them of their idiocy in not allowing swaps at Post Offices. Privatised RM are a nasty piece of work.

Lanark
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1321
Joined: March 27th, 2017, 11:41 am
Has thanked: 595 times
Been thanked: 582 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492606

Postby Lanark » April 7th, 2022, 7:23 pm

If you don’t have access to a printer you can request a Stamp Swap Out form to be posted to you
https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barco ... ut-request

chas49
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1935
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 10:25 am
Has thanked: 216 times
Been thanked: 457 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492629

Postby chas49 » April 7th, 2022, 8:49 pm

The Swap Out page says this:

If you have a printer, and more than £200 worth of stamps to swap out then use the Bulk Stamp Swap Out form. We recommend sending this and your non-barcoded stamps back to us via a secure service with suitable cover. The address to send to is:

Royal Mail
Swap Out
Tallents House
21 South Gyle Crescent
EDINBURGH
EH12 9PB
(bold added)

AF62
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3499
Joined: November 27th, 2016, 8:45 am
Has thanked: 131 times
Been thanked: 1277 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492827

Postby AF62 » April 8th, 2022, 3:55 pm

The trouble is Royal Mail are between a rock and a hard place. There is a flood of counterfeit stamps which they have to deal with, hence the introduction of barcoded stamps.

If they offered a checking service at Post Offices, would the Post Office staff be able to identify the real from the counterfeit? Probably not.

And if they couldn’t identify them then the criminals will take advantage and send in runners with £50 worth at a time (the criminals will still be posting in counterfeits for refund but their success level will be lower as I am sure the post in checks will be more rigorous).

But if the staff in the Post Office could identify them then they would then have to deal face to face with the fallout when they tell either the criminal’s runners or Mrs Miggins that her stamps are counterfeit (lots of innocent people have bought them without knowing it).

Therefore I can see why they have gone with a post in service, but However with it only being freepost up to £200 that is very consumer unfriendly. I have £100 of stamps to swap and there is not a cat in hell’s chance I will be posting them in one go - I wouldn’t trust sending £100 in cash in normal post so why would I be doing that with stamps.

As a result I will be ordering 15 forms and sending each of the 15 stamp booklets separately, and taking a photo of the open booklet before doing so.

Even so, this *will* be a story on the various TV and radio consumer shows next year when people say “I sent in £x of stamps but they said I only sent £Y or they said they didn’t receive them or they said they were counterfeit but that is impossible “, etc.

yorkshirelad1
Lemon Slice
Posts: 906
Joined: October 5th, 2018, 1:40 pm
Has thanked: 176 times
Been thanked: 299 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492846

Postby yorkshirelad1 » April 8th, 2022, 4:26 pm

AF62 wrote:The trouble is Royal Mail are between a rock and a hard place. There is a flood of counterfeit stamps which they have to deal with, hence the introduction of barcoded stamps.

(snip)

Even so, this *will* be a story on the various TV and radio consumer shows next year when people say “I sent in £x of stamps but they said I only sent £Y or they said they didn’t receive them or they said they were counterfeit but that is impossible “, etc.

I tend to agree with the points you make. I wasn't so much thinking of a validation service of the genuineness of the stamps, more of something like "this form is sent in with x first class and y second class stamps" and leave the people in Edinburgh to do the checking for fraud etc.

I entirely agree with your point about the TV and radio consumer shows. This swap out scheme is so full of holes when it comes to sending back and forth of stamps that it's going to create more trouble than it's worth IMHO.

AF62
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3499
Joined: November 27th, 2016, 8:45 am
Has thanked: 131 times
Been thanked: 1277 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492871

Postby AF62 » April 8th, 2022, 5:14 pm

yorkshirelad1 wrote:
AF62 wrote:The trouble is Royal Mail are between a rock and a hard place. There is a flood of counterfeit stamps which they have to deal with, hence the introduction of barcoded stamps.

(snip)

Even so, this *will* be a story on the various TV and radio consumer shows next year when people say “I sent in £x of stamps but they said I only sent £Y or they said they didn’t receive them or they said they were counterfeit but that is impossible “, etc.

I tend to agree with the points you make. I wasn't so much thinking of a validation service of the genuineness of the stamps, more of something like "this form is sent in with x first class and y second class stamps" and leave the people in Edinburgh to do the checking for fraud etc.


Trouble is that you would have to make sure that Mrs Miggins really understood that - the equivalent of the police recording a ‘yellow metal bracelet’ at lost property - otherwise even more complaints if they are later rejected as counterfeit - “mine can’t have been so they must have mixed them up with some else’s, look I have a receipt for them”.

yorkshirelad1 wrote:I entirely agree with your point about the TV and radio consumer shows. This swap out scheme is so full of holes when it comes to sending back and forth of stamps that it's going to create more trouble than it's worth IMHO.


It doesn’t seem well thought out, and even if there was some more security than a standard freepost it would be something, but then I suppose they are concerned about overloading the Special Delivery system with people sending back a couple of second class stamps.

Dod101
The full Lemon
Posts: 16629
Joined: October 10th, 2017, 11:33 am
Has thanked: 4343 times
Been thanked: 7534 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492887

Postby Dod101 » April 8th, 2022, 5:54 pm

We have quite a long while to use the unbarcoded stamps (31 January 2023) and as I only hold about two books of second class and a book of first I will most likely use them by the end of this year anyway.

Dod

JohnB
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2497
Joined: January 15th, 2017, 9:20 am
Has thanked: 677 times
Been thanked: 997 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492892

Postby JohnB » April 8th, 2022, 6:10 pm

If you consider the capital gains since I started stockpiling stamps when the prices shot away, they are the best performing part of my portfolio!

Watis
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1404
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 10:53 am
Has thanked: 352 times
Been thanked: 490 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492906

Postby Watis » April 8th, 2022, 7:01 pm

I'm wondering whether there has ever been a previous occasion when unused stamps ceased to be valid for use in the future?

The most likely previous occasion would have been decimalisation in 1971. I'm too young to remember what - if anything - happened then. Does anyone remember?

Watis

XFool
The full Lemon
Posts: 12636
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 7:21 pm
Been thanked: 2608 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492920

Postby XFool » April 8th, 2022, 7:49 pm

DrFfybes wrote:Didn't know about this scheme, MrsF has old stamps that have been there for years.

as it is free (except printing the form) can you just do several small applications?

Hmm, I wonder if the stamps with 1/2p on can be amalgamated to a full penny.

Never mind that. What about the 1½d ones? :lol:

Anyway, thanks to the OP for drawing our attention to this useful resource.

Lanark
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1321
Joined: March 27th, 2017, 11:41 am
Has thanked: 595 times
Been thanked: 582 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492941

Postby Lanark » April 8th, 2022, 9:58 pm

Watis wrote:I'm wondering whether there has ever been a previous occasion when unused stamps ceased to be valid for use in the future?

The most likely previous occasion would have been decimalisation in 1971. I'm too young to remember what - if anything - happened then. Does anyone remember?

Watis

Non-denominated postage was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1989 for domestic mail, in part as a workaround to the problem of fast-changing rates.
I remember every year when the rates went up there would be a rush to buy 1p or 2p stamps to make up the difference.

XFool
The full Lemon
Posts: 12636
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 7:21 pm
Been thanked: 2608 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#492944

Postby XFool » April 8th, 2022, 10:10 pm

Lanark wrote:Non-denominated postage was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1989 for domestic mail, in part as a workaround to the problem of fast-changing rates.
I remember every year when the rates went up there would be a rush to buy 1p or 2p stamps to make up the difference.

Which is why I still have an old collection of these.

mc2fool
Lemon Half
Posts: 7812
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:24 am
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 3017 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#512179

Postby mc2fool » July 6th, 2022, 4:06 pm

So has anyone used the swap out scheme?

Just wondering how long it takes, they say 7 days but ....

Also if anyone has sent in make up value stamps for values that they no longer produce. I have (for reasons lost in the mists of time) a few 35p stamps. I assume (?) that I'll get back a 25p and a 10p for each one...

richlist
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1589
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 33 times
Been thanked: 477 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#512196

Postby richlist » July 6th, 2022, 4:57 pm

Yes I've used it.
Works fine, got mine back inside 7 days.
In fact, if I remember rightlg, I sent in around £40 worth of stamps & got about £43 worth.

mc2fool
Lemon Half
Posts: 7812
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:24 am
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 3017 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#516041

Postby mc2fool » July 20th, 2022, 4:22 pm

mc2fool wrote:Also if anyone has sent in make up value stamps for values that they no longer produce. I have (for reasons lost in the mists of time) a few 35p stamps. I assume (?) that I'll get back a 25p and a 10p for each one...

Well I can now answer that. "...where a stamp is no longer produced, we add 2nd class barcoded stamps to make up the equivalent total postage value" says the letter that I got back with my new stamps after sending in the old ones.

So, while my old 1st and 2nd class stamps got replaced one-for-one, the 3 35p stamps I sent in, worth 3*35=£1.05, got replaced by 2 2nd class stamps, worth 2*68=£1.36. Stonking profit that ..... :D

wilwak9
Lemon Pip
Posts: 57
Joined: March 2nd, 2021, 10:25 am
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#603103

Postby wilwak9 » July 18th, 2023, 10:50 pm

I’m now at nearly 3 weeks from sending in a Freepost application… no response yet!

They do say allow 15 working days before contacting them so I’m now very close to that.

Why is nothing ever easy? Hassle and telephone queues coming my way it seems! Sigh……

JohnB
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2497
Joined: January 15th, 2017, 9:20 am
Has thanked: 677 times
Been thanked: 997 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#603108

Postby JohnB » July 18th, 2023, 11:24 pm

I sent a form on 29 June, got stamps today

Watis
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1404
Joined: November 5th, 2016, 10:53 am
Has thanked: 352 times
Been thanked: 490 times

Re: Royal Mail Swap out scheme: proving what you've sent

#603150

Postby Watis » July 19th, 2023, 9:19 am

I sent mine off in the first week of July, ahead of the expected final push - here's one such example from MSE, re-upped from June:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/ ... k-warning/

HTH someone!

Watis


Return to “Living Below Your Means”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests